lhamo
5-17-13, 8:39pm
I just posted a version of this over on the early retirement forums, where I know some of us here also hang out, but it feels a bit funny not to share the news with you guys/get your input. So, here goes....
My boss, who is at the Country Director level in our large international organization, just resigned this week. His last day is Sept. 30. He's encouraging me to apply for his position, which I intend to do. I think part of the reason he has given such long notice is to help facilitate my smooth transition into the position, or, if they find someone with better qualifications, ensure that I am at least moved up to Deputy Country Director. He's a mensch and I'm going to miss him, but I'm excited about the possibilities of this new opportunity. We're more or less FI at this point unless the Beijing property market tanks, so I am not afraid to take on the challenge of a more senior role. If I enjoy/excel at it, I'll do it for several years and our FI position will be even stronger. If I don't enjoy it, we can consider FIREing.
It's funny, because I have been in a lot of mental/emotional turmoil the last few weeks related to my job situation. The main program I work on is federally funded and we've been told we need to cut our budget for next year. Our office needs to develop more new programming and that hasn't been happening as quickly as it needs to, so I have been getting concerned about job security/quality. I actually applied for another position we are hiring for in our office that wouldn't be a promotion but more of a lateral move. I was also thinking about applying for some things in other organizations that had come up recently. I JUST said to my DH the night before my boss told me about his decision that I expected him (my boss) to stay in his position until retirement. I didn't really think I would ever be given the chance to move into his role. This was totally unexpected.
If anybody has suggestions about how to position yourself for success as an inside candidate for a major promotion, I'd love to hear them. I have a strong reputation within our organization and with our funders, and I think I have a very good shot at this, but want to do whatever I can to maximize my chances of success. I've already downloaded a bunch of books from the library geared at the issue of women setting themselves up for professional success, and put a hold on "Lean In: :) -- would welcome suggestions of additional books/on-line resources to consult, etc.
My boss, who is at the Country Director level in our large international organization, just resigned this week. His last day is Sept. 30. He's encouraging me to apply for his position, which I intend to do. I think part of the reason he has given such long notice is to help facilitate my smooth transition into the position, or, if they find someone with better qualifications, ensure that I am at least moved up to Deputy Country Director. He's a mensch and I'm going to miss him, but I'm excited about the possibilities of this new opportunity. We're more or less FI at this point unless the Beijing property market tanks, so I am not afraid to take on the challenge of a more senior role. If I enjoy/excel at it, I'll do it for several years and our FI position will be even stronger. If I don't enjoy it, we can consider FIREing.
It's funny, because I have been in a lot of mental/emotional turmoil the last few weeks related to my job situation. The main program I work on is federally funded and we've been told we need to cut our budget for next year. Our office needs to develop more new programming and that hasn't been happening as quickly as it needs to, so I have been getting concerned about job security/quality. I actually applied for another position we are hiring for in our office that wouldn't be a promotion but more of a lateral move. I was also thinking about applying for some things in other organizations that had come up recently. I JUST said to my DH the night before my boss told me about his decision that I expected him (my boss) to stay in his position until retirement. I didn't really think I would ever be given the chance to move into his role. This was totally unexpected.
If anybody has suggestions about how to position yourself for success as an inside candidate for a major promotion, I'd love to hear them. I have a strong reputation within our organization and with our funders, and I think I have a very good shot at this, but want to do whatever I can to maximize my chances of success. I've already downloaded a bunch of books from the library geared at the issue of women setting themselves up for professional success, and put a hold on "Lean In: :) -- would welcome suggestions of additional books/on-line resources to consult, etc.